Coach Mike Woodson probably knew when the New York Knicks hired Phil Jackson as team president, that his time was short. But with Jackson holding the power to appoint himself coach at any time, the Knicks head coaching job itself could be the kiss of death.
Multiple media outlets reported Monday that Jackson fired the entire Knicks coaching staff, including 12-year assistant coach Herb Williams.
All eyes turn to Steve Kerr, who has been rumored to become the next coach in New York almost from the time that Jackson assumed the Knicks presidency.
Former Jackson assistants Brian Shaw, Jim Cleamons and Kurt Rambis also have been mentioned as candidates, as has Derek Fisher, who will retire from the Oklahoma City Thunder after this season and could follow in the footsteps of Jason Kidd, who was named coach of the Brooklyn Nets one day after he retired as a player.
The problem facing each of those candidates? The shadow of 11 championship rings constantly looming over them.
As ESPN.com warned the next Knicks head coach, "But here's one thing Kerr or whoever replaces Woodson needs to accept before walking through that Madison Square Garden door, one thing that Jackson might not mention in the official job interview: That coach had better be strong enough to handle Jackson as his boss and, of greater consequence, as his permanent replacement-in-waiting."
ESPN suggested that Jackson take his time in the hiring process with the draft two months away to see if any other interesting names surface. In reality, the candidates that are rumored to be in line probably are perfect for Jackson and the Knicks because none of them is established as head coaching material.
Shaw went 36-46 with the Denver Nuggets in 2013-14 - hardly impressive for a first-year head coach, and Rambis hasn't been a head coach since being replaced as Los Angeles Lakers coach by Jackson in 1999.
ESPN talked of Miami Heat team president Pat Riley appointing himself to replace Stan Van Gundy in 2005, but in that instance, Van Gundy reportedly took himself out of the equation and Riley then hired a young coach named Erik Spoelstra and hasn't looked back.
Still, if Jackson's first hire does not perform up to Jackson's expectations, then it is Jackson who will be under the gun, and that might make him more inclined to take over as coach to save his own job.
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